Utility and safety prop for baby carriages



March 9, 1954 KUPFER UTILITY AND SAFETY PROP FOR BABY CARRIAGES Filed Nov. 21, 1952 INVENTOR. NORMAN Ku PFE R BY fiwm. @z.

A TTORWA).

Patented Mar. 9, 1954 OFFICE UTILITY AND SAFETY PROP FOR BABY CARRIAGE-S Norman Kupfer, Miami Beach, Fla. Application November 21, 1952, Serial No. 321,931

g 2 Claims.

. This invention relates to an attachment for baby carriages and has particular reference to a combined utility and safety prop for such carriages.

The invention has for its prime object, a de- .tachable bracket for quick and simple attachment to a baby carriage of practically any selected make, which bracket carries a vertically adjustable prop device that is easily and quickly extended to a ground engaging position as a means to prevent the accidental tipping backward of thecarriage when its load is shifted to create an unbalanced condition and frequently resulting in the dumping and serious injury of the occupant of the carriage.

The device further serves as a bracket support for a utility receptacle for infants clothing,

bottles or the like, with the receptacle being quickly and easily detachable for use as a hand or shoulder bag.

A novel feature of the invention resides in the means for adapting the bracket to either rolled,

.straight or upholstered rear top edges of various makes of carriages, the bracket and its attaching 'means being so constructed as to securely bind with the accompanying drawings, wherein has been illustrated a preferred example of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a side view thereof,

Figure 3 is a slightly enlarged vertical section of an adjustable ground engaging prop and,

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a bracket of general E-shape in top plan and comprising parallel end legs 5, connected by a horizontal bar 1. Intermediate the legs 6, the bar 1 is provided with a forwardly extending leg 8. As clearly shown, the bracket, including the bar I, legs 6 and leg 8 are formed from a flat piece of metal, but it will be apparent, that the bracket may be produced in other shapes and of difierent stock, such as tubing or square bars. The bracket as illustrated has been produced in this manner for sake of simplicity of illustration. The terminal ends of the legs 6 and 8 are apertured, as at 9 and i0.

Each of the legs 6, adjacent their point of connection with the bars I, are provided with downwardly directed clamp devices I I, here having been illustrated as corresponding to the well known C-clamps. The clamps include each a fixed jaw l2, rigid with the underneath portion of the legs 5, with the forward face of the jaw being enlarged and preferably padded at IS. A co-acting fixed jaw I' l, forwardly spaced from the jaws I2, is rigidly connected with each of the legs 6 in clamping alignment with the jaws i2. Each of the jaws M are provided with a head portion [5 that is axially bored and threaded for the threaded reception of an adjusting screw 15, carrying at one end, an enlarged padded head ll, shiftable in opposed relation to the head [3. A knurled head It facilitates the clamping movement of the screw it, as will be presently set forth. While the clamps have been described as being connected to the flat legs 5, it will be apparent that when the bracket device 5 is cast from metal of any suitable type, the clamps will obviously be cast as an integral part thereof.

Rigidly connected to the leg 8, as by a screw I9, is a perpendicular telescopic ground prop, indicated as a whole by the numeral 28. The prop includes an upper fixed tubular sleeve 2i, held in rigid abutment against the underside of the leg 8, by the screw I9. The sleeve 2i is slotted for its major length, as at 22 and this slot 22 has connection with a plurality of vertically spaced circumferential notches 23. Telescoping within the sleeve 2 l is a cylindrical leg 24, carrying a pin 25 that is shiftable within the slot 22 to be engaged in any one of a selected notch 23 when the leg 24 is rotated. A cushion friction pad 25 is carried upon the lower terminal end of the leg 24, for obvious reasons. The sleeve 2! has a length that will substantially encase the leg 24 when fully telescoped to inactive position. The uppermost notch 23 serves to retain the leg 24 in fully telescoped position. Other and well known means may be employed to hold the leg 24 in either the extended or retracted position, the means here illustrated being a simple expedient.

Supported upon the extremities of the legs 5, as by metallic spring clips 21, engaging the apertures 9, is a preferably flexible utility receptacle 28, having a longitudinal access opening that is closed by a conventional slide fastener 29. The spring clips 2'! are of conventional and well known form, usually rotatable upon rectangular eyes 30, connected to the opposite ends of the receptacle as shown. The receptacle 28 is easily and quickly removable from the legs 6 and, when the user so desires, a hand or shoulder strap may be engaged with the eyes and the receptacle employed as a separate carrying device exclusive of the bracket.

In the use of the device, the clamps are opened a distance that is suificient to permit them to embrace the rear upper edge of the carriage, indicated in dotted lines at 3|. The size and character of the clamps will readily engage over the major number of edges of carriages presently in use, whether they are rolled and upholstered or plain metallic, woven or the like. The clamps are then adjusted to the point Where the heads I3 and i1 securely grip the inner and outer surfaces of the carriage at which time, the bracket 5 will be disposed with its upper surface horizontally disposed, as shown and with the legs 6 and 8 rearwardly extended and with the prop depending. In the engaged position, the bracket and associated parts are centrally disposed with respect to the carriage with the prop depending on substantially the center line of the carriage. The receptacle can then be clipped in position upon the legs 6 and the device is ready for future use. Assumin now, that a child is being transported in the carriage and it becomes necessary to stop and brake the carriage for a period of time unattended, the operator rotates and then extends the leg 24 to a ground engaging position, at which time it is again rotated in a reverse direction to engage the pin 25 in the closest notch 23. In this ground engaging position, the prop serves to very effectively prevent the rearward tilting of the carriage should the child attempt to climb or shift about in a manner that would cause the carriage to become unbalanced. In addition to the effectiveness as a prop, the device also tends to retard motion of the carriage should the operator fail to securely engage the normal brake mechanism. The receptacle is very desirable as a means to carry diapers, bottles and the many and sundry articles normally required for the infant and which is usually carried by the average person in any convenient manner possible. Upon return to the carriage, the operator merely releases the leg 24, telescoping it into the sleeve 2! and looking it in a posi tion of release after which he is free to roll the carriage.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a very desirable and highly convenient means has been provided for successfully propping a baby carriage against rearward tilting. The structure is simple, cheap to manufacture, is strong,

durable and may be manufactured in various designs and colors and of various materials. The novel clamping means readily adapts it to many carriage constructions and it is contemplated that the device shall be manufactured and sold as an accessory.

It is to be understood, that the invention is not limited to the precise form shown, but that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to as readily fall within the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A utility and safety device for detachable connection with the upper rear edge of a baby carriage, that comprises a flat rigid bracket device including a bar and rearwardly extending right angularly disposed leg extensions from the opposite ends of the bar, the terminal ends of the legs being apertured, adjustable clamps formed upon the undersurface of each leg adjacent to its point of connection with the bar, the clamps engaging over the upper rear edge of the baby carriage to rigidly clamp the bracket against shifting and with the legs being horizontally disposed, cushioned pads carried by the clamps to protect the structure of the baby carriage, an intermediate leg formed on the bar and which projects rearwardly in parallelism with the first named legs, a telescopic ground engaging prop connected with the intermediate leg to be suspended therebelow in a perpendicular manner, the prop comprising an upper tubular section rigid with the intermediate leg and a telescoping extensible leg portion shiftable axially of the tubular section, the tubular section provided with looking slots, a locking pin carried by the extensible leg for engagement within a selected slot to retain the extensible leg in either a fully extended ground engaging position or a fully retracted telescoped position, a friction pad carried by the lower terminal end of the extensible leg to brake the accidental movement of the carriage, the first named leg extensions adapted to support a utility receptacle.

2. The device as in claim 1, wherein the intermediate leg formed on the bar is relatively shorter than the first named leg extensions, the ground engaging prop being supported from the intermediate leg forwardly of and in spaced relation to a receptacle adapted to be supported by the first named leg extension.

NORMAN KUPFER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,176,598 Pollgreen Mar. 21, 1916 2,140,688 (John Dec. 20, 1938 2,461,063 Karson Feb. 8, 1949 2,469,909 Wickman May 10, 1949 2,533,541 Warring Dec. 12, 1950 

